# How Long Do Kois Live?

> Koi lifespan is typically 25–35 years, sometimes much longer. What shortens or extends life, life stages, and status (Least Concern).

- **Species:** Koi (*Cyprinus rubrofuscus*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Omnivore
- **Habitat:** Garden ponds; wild carp in rivers and lakes
- **Lifespan:** 25–35 years, sometimes much longer
- **Top speed:** Slow, steady swimmer
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/koi/how-long-do-koi-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/koi/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

Koi are ornamental varieties of the common carp (Cyprinus rubrofuscus), bred over centuries in Japan and China for their vivid colours and patterns. Kept in garden ponds and water features around the world, they typically reach 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 ft) and around 5 kg, swimming slowly and steadily near the surface. Well cared-for koi commonly live 25 to 35 years, and some famously far longer.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a prognosis for one named animal. This page is a species lifespan range.

## Origins and domestication

Koi are not a wild species but a domesticated form of carp, selectively bred from dark, plain-coloured fish first farmed for food. The tradition took hold in the rice-farming regions of Niigata, Japan, in the early nineteenth century, where farmers noticed and bred colour mutations in their pond stock. Over generations these were refined into the bright reds, whites, blacks, and metallics seen today. The wild ancestor still swims in rivers and lakes across East Asia, but the ornamental koi is entirely a product of human selection.

## Help protect the Koi

Ocean wildlife is under mounting pressure from overfishing, bycatch and plastic pollution.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/koi/how-long-do-koi-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.